Clinical Lead Behavior Specialist

The Clinical Lead Behavioral Specialist is responsible for managing a team of behavior specialists in creating and implementing behavioral interventions within a multidisciplinary team while handling a caseload of 4-8 clients. This role supervises behavioral specialists who perform functional behavior assessments to identify targets for the Positive Behavioral Support plan. Focusing on person-centered supports and adhering to Every Day Lives principles, this position ensures therapeutic support through positive approaches. The goal is to develop collaborative service plans tailored to each individual's needs.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Utilizes positive approaches in every interaction with all direct support professionals, program specialists, behavior specialists, managers, directors, external stakeholders, and people supported.
• Ensures that the wishes, hopes, dreams, and fears of each person supported are respected, and that their rights are honored across all settings.
• Performs all job duties with the understanding that their highest priority is what is most important to the person supported.
• Communicates as needed with all team members (person supported, direct support professionals, behavior specialists, family members, advocates, support coordinators, therapists, and other providers) to ensure quality services and collaboration.
• Acts as a role model and shows professionalism, dignity, and respect towards individuals receiving support, colleagues, management, and other associates inside and outside the organization, in accordance with InVision Human Services' Guiding Principles.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with the team of behavior specialists who are direct reports.
• Provides ongoing clinical consultation, training, and guidance to the behavior specialists and direct support professionals. Ensures all team members are working towards the person's vision of a meaningful life.
• Implements comprehensive planning, development, prevention, and intervention strategies utilizing a restraint-free and least restrictive approach.

Licensing and Contractual Compliance:

• Review ISP, BSP, related supporting documents, and annual plans in Evolv at least annually for each person supported, if not more often,and complete the Staff Document Review.
• Attends psychiatric/psychological consults to provide behavioral data and updates on application of new/existing interventions.
• Is responsible for leading the team in developing and delivering training on various support plans for the person being supported, as well as for individual caseload. This process includes conducting functional behavior assessments, creating positive behavior support plans, safety plans, refusal plans, PRN psychotropic medication protocols, treatment plans, and annual skills assessments.
• Oversees and coordinates training of direct support professionals on behavior support plans, restrictive procedures, psychiatric PRN protocols, and risk management plans whenever documents are updated, supports change, or new team members join. Identifies needs and provides necessary teaching, mentoring, and resources. Will also train new staff with the program supervisor to ensure plans are effectively implemented.
• Meets with people supported and their teams, at a frequency which ensures effective support.
• Oversees and completes the timely documentation of service delivery, including direct and consultative notes, into the medical record.
• Complete and pass the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) training certification process within 3 weeks of hire.

Administrative:

• Conducts an FBA for each individual on the assigned caseload and updates it annually, using data to drive instructional decisions and ensuring that behavior specialists have also completed this process.
• Implements, collects, trains and analyzes behavioral data on a monthly basis.
• Fulfills 24 hours of mandatory annual training and engages in additional educational opportunities that support professional growth and development. Ensures that behavior specialists have also met these requirements.
• Provides and ensures that behavior specialists provide 24/7 on-call clinical consultation to direct support professionals and program specialists during rotating weeklong designated periods and during business hours for assigned caseload.
• Develops additional resources, plans, and completes assessments to meet the identified needs of the individuals supported within assigned caseload. Additionally, reviews and aids behavior specialists with their plans and assessments as needed. This encompasses various tools, including but not limited to:
  
  • Behavior Support Plans
  • Communication Systems
  • Desensitization Plans
  • Functional Behavior Assessments
  • Psychotropic PRN Protocols
  • Refusal Plans
  • Restrictive Procedure Plans
  • Risk Assessment & Management Plans
  • Safety Plans
  • Specific Psychiatric Diagnoses (Prader-Willi, Pedophilia, Bipolar Disorder, etc.)
  • Supervision Reduction/Alone Time
  
  
• Performs other duties as requested by the Director of Clinical Services; including but not limited to attending and/or conducting meetings, preparing reports, completing surveys and forms.
• Observe the supported individual and their staff completing interventions at home and in the community, as specified in the treatment plan.
• Required to present and/or guide behavior specialists during the monthly Human Rights Team meetings if anyone on their caseload meets the criteria for Person at Risk or if there is a need to review or implement a Restrictive Procedure Plan.
• Handles individual caseloads and supervises various consultation duties of behavior specialists' caseloads, including initiating and responding to calls, reviewing and addressing block summaries, examining incident reports and planning debriefings, reading and replying to on-call reports, conducting data analysis, and coordinating care discussions with program staff and mental health professionals.
• Correctly and accurately completes and submits by stated deadline, InVision Customized Services required information such as timesheets, mileage documentation, expense reports as well as any personal information required by federal, state, or local doctrines, such as verification of driver's license, physical exam, and vehicle insurance.
• Reports immediately any discrepancies related to the use of personal or company funds.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Clinical Lead Behavior Specialist is responsible for overseeing behavior specialists. Duties include managing and directing staff, conducting meetings, interviewing, and training employees, planning, assigning, and directing work, evaluating performance, addressing complaints, and resolving issues. Additionally, this position guides, informs, supports, and evaluates with the behavior specialists the needs of those we support concerning behavioral health requirements and may provide input on the performance evaluations of direct support professionals, particularly regarding the clinical aspects of their responsibilities.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

A Master's Degree or higher in Psychology, Special Education, Counseling, Social Work, Education, Applied Behavior Analysis or Gerontology from an accredited college or university and work experience working directly with persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Highly preferred to have two years of work experience working with people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Direct experience in writing behavioral support plans addressing social, emotional, and environmental factors related to medical, health, safety, psychiatric, behavioral, social, and vocational outcomes is highly preferred. Leadership and cross-functional teamwork experience are also strongly favored. A comprehensive understanding of federal, state, and county social services networks and funding sources is desirable. The candidate must possess knowledge of positive and person-centered approaches and uphold the belief that all individuals have the right to lead full and meaningful lives.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Extensive local travel.

• Staff hired will be at least twenty-one years of age and will have received Acts 33 and Criminal clearances. All staff will be routinely screened for exclusion from participation in Federal Health Care Programs.
• Valid driver's license and current vehicle insurance, registration and inspection as well as access to a vehicle.
• Maintain training compliance as defined in all pertinent regulations.
• Ability to comprehend, access, and utilize electronic medium and various computer programs.
• Ability to present information effectively, write reports, respond to questions from both internal and external stakeholders, and guide the team of behavior specialists in performing these tasks.
• Ability to comprehend and apply basic mathematical concepts.
• Some non-traditional working hours (i.e., evenings/weekends/early mornings) will be necessary to meet the needs of the people supported.
• Pursuit of state level licensure (as eligible) or Nationally Recognized Certification Program within first year of hire.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is required to stand and walk. The employee is also required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.

All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills, and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Employees may be required to perform any job-related function as directed by their supervisor.